Pages

Saturday, 21 September 2013

ParkLife

To raise awareness for the Rugby World Cup which kicks off in two years time the
RFU have been putting up odd sets of posts in parks around Leicester. The idea is to get people to have a kick
about in park, get some air in the lungs, have a nice run around.Nothing serious just a bit of fun.

Tigers and Newcastle it seems were recruited as ambassadors
for the scheme as they had a nice relaxing game in beautiful weather.Got some air in the lungs, had a nice run
around with only occasional interruptions of seriousness.

As you probably know already it was not a happy return for
Leicester legends Dean Richards and John Wells.Their Newcastle side was dismissed with ease as Tigers just clicked
through the gears to record a 31-6 victory.

There was no messing about from Tigers as they kicked to
touch from every penalty awarded.Some
people call it arrogant but frankly we don’t want to get into a tit for tat
penalty contest, we want a 4 try bonus so might as well go for it from the off.

Tigers won a mid field penalty and Flood went to touch, from
the maul Tigers won another penalty and this time Ben Youngs tapped it into the
corner.Jordan Crane claimed it at the
back of the lineout and tigers went for the heave.The Falcons were flagging already as Waldrom
broke towards the Crumbie on the blindside.

He was stopped inches short of the line but the Falcons defence had
failed to wrap around the ruck and simple hands but JC in the corner.

A traditional Crumbie groan greeted Flood’s attempt at the
conversion.

In the week that Manu Tuilagi gave call me Dave Cameron “bunny
ears” he was more like a Rampant Rabbit as he penetrated the Falcons defence
time and time again.He created the
second and third tries through powerful thrusts into the Geordie midfield.The second try he was unstoppable as he
powered from outside the 22 to the 5 yard.When he was stopped short of the line it was a pyrrhic victory as the
defence was all at sea and Graham Kitchener had the proverbial open goal.

The third try was just before half time.Once again Newcastle’s midfield indiscipline
had given Tigers a lineout in excellent position.Again it was on the Crumbie touchline and
again the Tigers drive was strong.Again
the Newcastle pack chose to stop the maul by illegal means and Tigers had the
advantage.The Newcastle rush defence
put Bowden’s second pass under pressure but Manu’s sheer strength and pace saw
him brush off the attentions of his defender and feed Californian Blaine Scully
for a dream debut try.

Sandwiched between the Tuilagi interjections were Newcastle’s
only points.Scully skewed his clearance
kick into touch and the Falcons forwards took flight, well sort of, with a
maul.I’m not entirely convinced that Ed
Slater did come from the side but it really doesn’t matter in the long
run.

Rory “don’t call me Nick” Clegg
slotted the pen then 5 minutes later knocked over a rare sight a Welford Road,
a drop goal.Long gone are the days of
Cusworth or Harris or even Goode where Drop Goals were a regular occurrence,
Tigers haven’t kicked a drop goal in 19 months since Geordan Murphy’s last gasp
winner against Saracens.

The second half’s early exchanges were tentative as Tigers
were content to wait for their chance for the bonus point.Dave Rose’s liberal approach to watching the game
lead to an open game as lots of knock ons were missed by both sides.Tigers almost profited as Goneva was set to
race clear but at the last second Rose’s contacts came into focus and he
spotted a knock on.No complaints as
there were several in the move but it is annoying when he spots the small one
at the end after you’ve got away with a whopper early in the move.

The try was coming though and eventually it came.Flood put Kitchener through a hole on the
Newcastle 22 and as the giant strode forwards and about a million years after
the pass he was clattered into by Kieran Brookes.Brookes left the club in the summer after
falling behind Fraser Balmain and no loved was lost between Brookes and the
former Falcon Flood.

Flood, not
unsurprisingly given recent events, was not impressed by this blatant
thuggery.He rocketed straight back to
his feet and after the tub of lard assailant, grabbing his ears and not quite
head butting him but heads certainly were in contact.

Meanwhile, Dan Bowden was latching on to Kitchener’s pop
pass to scorch under the posts.

After the conversion Brookes was a lucky boy and only shown a
yellow card.

With the bonus point secured Tigers used most of their
bench, keeping Tom Youngs and Julian Salvi back for another day but giving
allowing Tom Bristow to step up to the oche and make his debut for the
club.

The final score was reminiscent of the Deano and Wells hey
day as the pack completely ignored their talented backs to shove the opposition
pack back over the line.It was the man
wearing Wells’s old shirt that came up with ball after the push over, Thomas
Waldrom the blindside for the day.Young
Welsh fly half Owen Williams slotted the conversion to keep up his 100% kicking
record the club, all 2 out 2 of them.

Newcastle tested out the Tigers defence late on and Adam
Thompstone was yellow carded for the crime of not quite catching a ball.The Law (12.1 (e)) merely says that “A player must not intentionally knock the ball forward with hand or
arm”.So according to Mr.Rose, who
played second division rugby for Moseley, Thompstone didn’t want to score a try
or even attempt to catch the ball.Which
is rubbish.I hate this from referees
because it is massively disproportionate and is not in the rules.It is just another chance for them to show
off their egos and try to spoil the game for the players and fans.

And that’s how the kick about in the park
ended really.Got some air in the lungs,
scrapped some knees, had a run around.Nothing serious, just an afternoon of fun.